Honza and Kača were first introduced to Josiah Venture through a JV summer camp in 2007. That was the first time they served with KAM, JV’s partner organization in the Czech Republic. Then in 2011, they helped launch Fusion, …Read more

Dusan and Dana have been married since 2008. Dusan has been serving with Josiah Venture in the Czech Republic since January 2004. Dusan got his Master’s Degree in Economics in Prague and Diploma in Business Administration …Read more

Ingūna grew up in Riga, the capital city of Latvia. She became a Christian when she was seventeen through a local church youth ministry and served on the youth team for many years. It is here that she first learned about …Read more

Growing up, Adam was the only evangelical believer in his school. He accepted Jesus as a teenager and God began to grow in him a huge desire to tell others about God. After helping to organize several English camps with …Read more

In 1997, Michal, a young and inexperienced youth leader, was mentored by a Josiah Venture missionary who modeled Christ’s life and ministry. Soon he and his youth group began leading evangelistic English camps to reach their …Read more

In 2002, Dawid started serving with English camps through his local church. Eventually, Dawid was asked to join Fala, Josiah Venture’s partner organization in Poland, where he helped coordinate the Ministry Team Training …Read more

Growing up in Slovenia, Zala believed that God existed. However, it wasn’t until her second English Camp with Josiah Venture, in 2009, that she realized that her understanding of God was wrong. After camp, she started going …Read more

Tsvetan and Maia have been serving in the youth movement with their churches union for the last 20 years. They have been married for 18 years and have two kids, Georgi and Nia. During the previous several years, while serving …Read more

David grew up in a Christian family in the Czech Republic. After graduating high school, he went to study sociology, beginning in Prague and finishing in Bratislava, where he met his future wife. For several years he worked …Read more

Tomáš has always had a special affection for Josiah Venture (JV), being introduced to Christ through some of JV's missionary kids as a teenager. In the summer of 2012, Tomáš attended a Christian camp in Maine, which deepened …Read more

An Amazing Race

Jun 4, 2018 | 3 min read | Dave Patty

Dear Friends,

It really is an amazing race.

This summer, when our 109 JV summer interns gather for training the first week of June, we don’t make it easy to get to their destination. After flying in from all over the world, they gather in the Vienna airport and are divided into teams to receive some simple instructions. From there they have to find their way to our training center several hundreds of miles away, accomplishing specific tasks along the way—and trying to get there before everyone else does.

They have a limited amount of money, destinations that must be found, and specific challenges to overcome. Over three days they race across three countries, navigating different cultures and relating to people who don’t speak their language.

Invariably, some get lost, have disagreements, run low on resources, and get tired. This is exactly what we want. The amazing race is quite an adventure, but one with a specific purpose. These teams will be leading camps and sharing the gospel with thousands of young people in 14 countries around Central and Eastern Europe throughout the summer. They must be well prepared.

Eternal lives are at stake and these teams must be strong and ready for spiritual battle. A full week of training unpacks the lessons learned from the race and equips them to lead courageously and share the gospel boldly in the weeks ahead.

Most of our summer interns are college students, courageous young people who sacrifice their summer, and precious income, to invest their lives in eternity. Hundreds come to faith in Christ through their efforts, but the summer transforms them as well. Many of them change their life direction because of the experience and return home with a vision to build Christ’s kingdom wherever they are.

Would you pray for these precious young leaders during the months ahead? We want this summer to put them on a trajectory that will cause their entire lives to be lived with singular purpose, with their eyes fixed on the prize of Christ and his mission.

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